Pollock and Kanzler Make College Sports Madness All-MAC Preseason Teams
BUFFALO, NY - After keying the Buffalo baseball team to its first-ever trip to the Mid-American Conference tournament, senior outfielders Matt Pollock and Jason Kanzler were named to the College Sports Madness preseason All-MAC teams. Pollock earned the first team nod after making the all-conference team last season, and Kanzler is on the second team.
Pollock Put himself into strong consideration for the Mid-American Conference's Player of the Year after putting together one of the greatest single seasons in program history. He was named to All-MAC, All-Academic, and All-Mideast Region teams after batting .357 with a .638 slugging percentage and a .447 on-base percentage. He led the team with 79 hits and 56 runs scored, drove in 44 runs and stroked 12 home runs, 18 doubles, and four triples. In the conference, he ranked in the top five in the all three batting percentages (including a first-place finish in slugging), as well as home runs, total bases, and runs scored. Over the Summer, he took part in the Pacific West League for the Top Speed Baseball team. He earned player of the week honors, and at the end of the season he was named the top prospect of the Pacific West League by Perfect Game USA.
Kanzler exploded on to the national scene as a junior, posting career numbers both in the regular season and during summer league play. He batted .345 and slugged .556 with 13 doubles, five triples, and eight home runs, driving in 40 runs. He ranked ninth in the MAC in batting average, runs scored, and hits, fifth in slugging percentage and home runs, eighth in stolen bases, and tied for first in triples. Not just effective at the plate, he posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, earning him a spot on the nine-member ABCA's Rawlings Gold Glove Award team. In Summer league action, Kanzler helped the Edenton (NC) Steamers of the Coastal Plains League to the top overall seed in the playoffs, was a CPL All-Star honoree, and a participant in the league's home run derby. For the summer, he batted .305 with eight home runs, 31 runs batted in, and stole 21 bases.
The baseball season begins in just under a month, with a three-game series at North Carolina A&T to kick things off on Feb. 15.
| First Team | Second Team | |||
| P | Kendall Lewis, Eastern Michigan | P | Pat Kaminska, Central Michigan | |
| P | Tyler Skulina, Kent State | P | Steve Laudicina, Western Michigan | |
| P | Ryan Wilkinson, Toledo | P | Brett Barber, Ohio | |
| IF | Matthew Pitzulo, Bowling Geen | IF | T.J. Losby, Bowling Green | |
| IF | George Roberts, Kent State | IF | Brian Bien, Bowling Green | |
| IF | Kevin Bower,Miami (OH) | IF | Cody Gaertner, Ohio | |
| IF | Evan Campbell, Kent State | IF | James Miglin, Toledo | |
| IF | Matt Delewski, Toledo | IF | Patrick Duncan, Western Michigan | |
| OF | Matt Honchel, Miami (OH) | OF | Andrew Kubuski, Bowling Green | |
| OF | Matt Pollock, Buffalo | OF | Jason Kanzler, Buffalo | |
| OF | Tyler Wells, Ohio | OF | Wes Winkle, Ball State | |
| UTIL | Sam Ott, Eastern Michigan | UTIL | T.J. Sutton, Kent State | |